Increased plasma asprosin levels in patients with drug-naive anorexia nervosa.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Asprosin is a centrally acting appetite-promoting hormone and promotes glucose production in the liver. This study is the first to investigate the difference in asprosin in the plasma between anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls, and to explore the relationship between asprosin changes and plasma glucose levels and AN symptoms.

METHODS:

Plasma asprosin and glucose concentrations were detected in AN patients (n = 46) and healthy control subjects (n = 47). Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) was used to assess subjects' eating disorder symptoms and related personality traits. The patient's concomitant levels of depression and anxiety were also measured using the beck depression inventory and beck anxiety inventory, respectively.

RESULTS:

Results indicate that AN patients had a higher asprosin concentration in their plasma compared to healthy controls (p = 0.033). Among AN patients, plasma asprosin levels correlated positively with EDI-2 interoceptive awareness subscale score (p = 0.030) and negatively with duration of illness (p = 0.036). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that increases in asprosin levels (p = 0.029), glucose levels (p = 0.024) and body mass index (p = 0.003) were associated with an increase of the score of EDI-2 bulimia subscale.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings suggest that the increase in plasma asprosin concentration in patients with AN may be a compensation for the body's energy shortage, and asprosin may be involved in the development of bulimia and lack of interoceptive awareness in AN patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Level III, case-control analytic study.

• Authors: Yanran Hu, Yixiang Xu, Yuchen Zheng, Qing Kang, Zhongze Lou, Qiang Liu, Han Chen, Yunxin Ji, Lei Guo, Chen Chen, Liemin Ruan, Jue Chen
• Journal: Eating and weight disorders : EWD (Eat Weight Disord) Vol. 26 Issue 1 Pg. 313-321 (Feb 2021) ISSN: 1590-1262 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 32026376 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• FBN1 protein, human
• Fibrillin-1
• Microfilament Proteins
• Peptide Fragments
• Peptide Hormones
• Pharmaceutical Preparations

Topics

• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Fibrillin-1
• Humans
• Microfilament Proteins
• Peptide Fragments
• Peptide Hormones
• Pharmaceutical Preparations
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales